


Go the Distance

by Nursula70



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brief mentions of other characters - Freeform, Dark Thoughts, Hurt/Comfort, Keith needs a hug, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Self-Hatred, Self-Sacrifice, heroic suicide attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 16:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14405790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nursula70/pseuds/Nursula70
Summary: Shiro confronts Keith after finding out through Matt about Keith almost giving up his life for the team.





	Go the Distance

**Author's Note:**

> Wow my first fic posted to this site! I haven't written a fanfic since 2009 so i'm a little rusty. But I would love constructive criticism on how to improve my writing. I apologize in advance for any grammar and spelling mistakes.  
> Check out [my tumblr](http://uglynavel.tumblr.com) if you wanna send me prompts. Im gonna take in prompts at the beginning of every month!

“What are you doing? Keith, no!”

 Keith could hear Matt’s voice over the comms but it was muffled, blocked out by Keith’s hear hammering hard in chest, the anxiety pumping blood through his ears. He knew that he had to do this. He doesn’t think of what the consequences will be if he sacrifices himself. He knows if he does this, his friends will be able to get away, they can still fight together as a team, as Voltron. His friends are better off without him anyway. 

He was far to hotheaded to be the leader of Voltron. His recklessness is what almost got his team killed when they chased after Lotor. He was to focused on taking Lotor down, was more motivated to finish the mission; his friends’ safety be damned at the time. That’s why he knows that he has to do this. Driving his ship into the shield is the only way he knows that he can make up for his past mistakes, the only way to he knows how to help—to act first, no time to question why or how. 

Keith was more at home with the Blade anyways. He fought like a Galra didn't he? It showed with how easily he was able to fit in and fight alongside Kolvian and the rest of the Blades. What he was taught in the blade—knowledge or death. The mission always came first, having attachments could set you back; it can bring you down and even ruin the mission. The rules were simple, they were linear and understandable. 

But Keith could at least do this one last thing for his team. It was the one thing he could do to make up for being such a failure of a leader; and a pretty shitty friend as well. He had made up his mind and pushed the accelerator on his ship up to the highest speed. As his ship was barreling towards victory and certain death that’s when it happened.  


_Lotor_ ….why did Lotor save him? He ruined the one chance Keith had at righting all of his wrongs in the past. 

“Argh!” He slammed his palm against the control panel in frustration. Part of the fact that’d he have to face his friends after pulling this stunt and the other that he had failed his mission. He wasn't even good at sacrificing himself apparently.

* * *

 Keith hopped out of the space vehicle and made his way towards his room. He stopped in his tracks though. Was it really his room still? The room hadn’t been lived in for months now. It wasn’t like his absence made much of a difference though. The room was pretty bare when he was sleeping there. He didn't really have much to bring when they first blasted off into space in the blue lion and even after living in the castle for so long, Keith didn't really make an attempt at “making the room like home” as Hunk would have put it followed by Lance commenting on how one can't reach “desert-bum chic” in space. Keith ignored the voice in his head telling him he didn't really belong here in the castle anymore and headed to his room anyways. 

When he opened the door he was met with a clean and bare room. It didn't look like someone had been living there at all. The floors clean and the bed perfectly made, the walls just as bare as the room. Keith flopped onto the bed covering his face with his arm. He just needed a moment to himself. He needed to distress; rest his mind and also get the courage to face his friends.

Keith’s eyes had begun to droop when he heard a sharp knock in the door.

 “Who ever it is, go away…please.” He groaned.

“You know that’s not gonna happen Keith. Can I come in?” Shiro’s voice came through the other side of the door.

Keith sat up and glared at the door. He could just tell Shiro no. He could tell him that he didn't want to talk or have a heart to heart. Keith knew Shiro was going to ask him about what happened and want to discuss what happened. Keith knew Shiro would be so disappointed in him and he did not want to see that look on Shiro’s face. His heart hurt just thinking about it.

 “Keith please, I just want to make sure you’re alright. That’s all.” 

Keith sat there and thought for a moment and decided that he couldn't put off this confrontation any longer. Shiro would eventually find him and get him to talk anyway. 

“Fine. Shiro you can come in.” He sighed.

The automatic doors slid open, revealing and alive and well but concerned shiro who ran up to Keith and pulled him into a tight crushing hug. Keith was confused. Given from what he heard from everyone else, he was expecting a serious verbal lashing from the one again black paladin. He was not expecting Shiro to pull him closer when he tried to push back to see if Shiro was ok. He was definitely shocked when he started hearing sobs coming from the leader of Voltron.

“Keith I’m so glad that you’re ok. Matt told me what you were about to do! What were you thinking!?” 

He sat back, cradling Keith’s face in his large and safe hands. Reflexively Keith put his hands over Shiro’s staring Shiro’s dark gray eyes; they were red-rimmed and puffy. It looked like he had been crying for awhile.

“Shiro have you been crying, are you ok?” Keith asked.

It was Shiro’s turn to look confused this time. He looked at Keith not with pity but with deep sadness.

  
“Keith why the hell are you asking about me. Are you ok? You could have died out there what were you thinking.”

“I was thinking about the mission.” Keith answered bluntly.

“The mission? Keith did you really think that that suicide attempt was the way to go? Yes the mission is important but your life is just as important as well.”

Keith remembered Regris and how he given his life up to get the information needed to take down the Galra empire. He knew his life was more important than the mission. The day he was left behind on the ship, Keith knew he had to be better. He wasn't gonna let someone else who didn't deserve to loose their life die again; not on his watch.

“Shiro if I had succeeded you guy could have taken down the cruiser and won. The world needs Voltron. Far more than it needs me. I did what I had to do.” 

Keith hooked his fingers with Shiro in an attempt to console him. Shiro took his hands away from Keith’s face but kept Keith’s hands gripped tightly in his. Keith really wished Shiro had come in angry and yelled at him. That would be easier to deal with than the Shiro that looks so distraught as he sat on Keith’s bed and held Keith like he was going to disappear in the next second. 

“Keith what are you saying? Do you even know how wrong you sound right now? If it wasn't for you, Voltron wouldn't have had a leader when they needed one most. Keith the world does need you. I need you. I will always need you.”

Keith looked at Shiro with shock. A part of Keith wanted Shiro to agree with him and understand that Keith is can be replaced, that he is an expendable part of making the universe safer to live in. Another part of him, the deeper more emotional part of him was glad that someone needed him, happy that someone would be affected if Keith was gone forever.

 “Keith, you have got to stop this mindset. You have to stop being so damn stubborn all the time! You’re not invulnerable, and you’re important. Keith if you had died I don’t know what I would’ve done I—”

Shiro stopped mid rant when he saw the tears well up in Keith’s eyes. Keith leaned forward, pressing his face into Shiro’s neck, inhaling the warm and familiar scent that was Shiro. He smelled a little different from what he usually smelled like but Keith ignored it as he sobbed into Shiro neck, getting tears and snot on Shiro’s shoulder.

Shiro didn't care about how gross it was as he ran his up and down Keith’s back in an attempt to comfort him.

“Keith, you have to promise me that you wont do something as stupid and careless as this again. I know the request seems selfish but you have to promise me this Keith. I just got you back and I can’t loose you again.”

Keith laughed and wiped away his tears. “Hey that’s what I’m supposed to say to you. Don’t still my lines.”

Shiro chuckled lightly and hugged Keith tightly again. 

“You got it. I love you, you my stubborn hero.”

“I love you too shiro.”

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this was so short but I didn't know what else to add. Tell me what you guys think!


End file.
